The Current Situation
by Yuuki Miyaka
Summary: [sap, angst?] Quatre's on a Mailing List that's gotten out of hand. Can Duo help him understand why?


From: Yuuki Miyaka miyaka@gto.net  
To: Gundam_Wing_Fanfiction@egroups.com  
Subject: [fic][angst, sap?] The Current Situation  
Date: Thursday, January 25, 2001 9:48 AM  
  
Standard disclaimers apply.  
  
Saishi, this is for you . . .  
  
The Current Situation  
A Gundam Wing fic  
by: Yuuki Miyaka  
  
"Yo, Q-man, what's wrong?" Duo asked, plopping himself down beside Quatre's large computer, looking at the blond boy in worry. Quatre, in turn, looked bright green from nausea. Bright blue eyes, made brighter by shimmering tears, met violet ones. Duo reached out toward Quatre, only to have the Arabian pull back violently. "Aw, hell, Quatre, talk to me. What's wrong?" he pleaded.  
Quatre sniffed once, glanced over at the computer screen, then suddenly jumped up, running for the bathroom. Duo's stomach heaved slightly as he heard Quatre's breakfast, lunch, and dinner leave the boy, and the American considered going to him, only to decide against it after remembering the way Quatre had pulled away from him in the first place. He sat watching the bathroom door until something behind him made him jump. When he looked around, he found Trowa standing there, a look of misery on his face. "Trowa, what's wrong?"  
"They're fighting." Duo waited for the explanation to continue, but Trowa finally sighed and left without saying another word, knowing that there was truly nothing he could do. Deciding to see what was really wrong, Duo started skimming through the computer screen, stopping in surprise when he realized that it was connected to the 'Net and that Quatre had been reading messages on a particular list he was on.   
Gundam Fighter ML, Duo mused, still surprised that the general populace would make stories out of their exploits. Quatre had convinced him to join the list some time ago, when it was still new. But he'd been gone for quite some time, and hadn't had a chance to check his messages. Now, he was glad that he hadn't. The posts seemed to be mostly angry, bitter things with a lot of yelling over trivial things and everything taken truly out of proportion. Duo sighed, continuing to skim through the messages and found himself growing sicker and sicker with each passing one. A sound in the room caught his attention, and he glanced up. Quatre had finished in the bathroom and was standing there, looking far too pale and still very green.  
"My uchuu no kokoro," he said simply, and the words seemed to cost him quite a bit. Tears were pouring down his face. Duo looked sick and rose, going to Quatre and reaching out to hold him once more. This time, Quatre sagged against him.  
Strong arms cradled the delicate-looking boy as Duo tried to wrap his loving nature around Quatre like a blanket, all without knowing how he was going to accomplish it. But after a moment or two, Quatre seemed to calm, turning his face into the place where Duo's neck met his shoulder and crying. Soothing words disappeared into the silence of the room as gentle hands rubbed circles on Quatre's back. "It'll be okay, Quatre," Duo said softly.   
"But . . . but . . ." Quatre started, then hiccoughed with the tears.  
"But nothing. They're human, just like us. We make mistakes, Quatre, and that's all they're doing. Pretty soon, they'll all come to their senses and see the hurt they're causing. And then everyone will apologize, and the thread will die."  
"You really think so, Duo?" Quatre asked in a tiny voice. Duo nodded emphatically.  
"I promise, Quatre. They all really like each other. We know that from all the posts in the past, right? It's just right now that's gotten out of hand." He led Quatre over to the bed, still holding him tightly. "Know what I think really happened?" When Quatre looked up in question, Duo continued. "I think that a few people must've been having a really bad day. And then the posts they sent made someone else's day bad, and so on. It's kinda like a chain-thingie."  
"Chain event," Quatre supplied, and Duo nodded again.  
"EXACTLY! Anyway, once it got started, it just self-perpetuated, until suddenly everyone was angry or offended and no one was realizing that it was just trivia because everyone thought it was personal."  
"So how do we fix it?" Quatre asked softly. "By writing to them?"  
"God, no!" Duo all-but-yelled. "That'll just make it worse!"  
"But why?" the Arabian asked.  
"Because it'll continue the chain, Quatre-kun. Look, we know everyone on that list likes everyone else a whole lot, right?" When Quatre nodded, Duo grinned. "So we wait it out. And since it's affecting you so badly, I'll stick by your side to offer good feelings to compete."  
"You'd . . . you'd really do that for me?" Quatre asked softly.  
Duo laughed. "Well, of course, man! The four of you are like my family! And I don't let ANYTHING happen to my family!"  
"So we just . . . wait it out then?"  
"Yep. It's gotta end soon, right?" Quatre nodded, and Duo grinned, hugging him. "You look a lot better, man!"  
"I . . . I am," Quatre said in surprise. "I think it's ending now."  
"Good."  
The two of them went over to the computer and started reading. Instead of angry messages, they began to find more stories. And pictures depicting monstrous versions of their gundams and themselves. Quatre turned shimmering eyes to Duo once again. "Thank you, Duo. Will I . . . will I ever be able to tell them what this did to me?"  
"I don't think you should. It'd just make 'em feel bad, and that'll start the whole cycle up again, ne?" When Quatre agreed, Duo grinned. "'Sides, I bet they can feel your love for them anyway. And if they can't, maybe they realize it."  
"I hope so." Quatre's fingers hovered over the keyboard as he considered going against Duo's advice and posting a message. Finally, though, he reached for his mouse, highlighting the offending posts and deleting them. In the end, that was probably the best thing to do.  
  
-Owari-  
  
Notes:  
I figured something oughta come out of this whole thing, and what better than a fic, ne? Anyway, I hope that everyone who reads this enjoys it.   



End file.
